A mix of pop sensibilities and HEAVY ROCK

Local musician a member of Jacksonville band Blistur

DOUGLAS JORDANCompass Correspondent

Published Saturday, June 30, 2007

Just when it seems all the genres have been explored, blended, stretched and regurgitated to the point where nothing sounds innovative anymore, along comes a band that deftly samples a variety of styles, and yet brings forth a fresh sound and attitude that reaffirms rock music's ability to constantly reinvent itself.

Jacksonville's Blistur is such a band.

The trio will perform tonight at Jacksonville's Florida Theatre, as part of JAXROX, a showcase of local rock acts benefiting Body & Soul, a non-profit organization that uses the arts to help area healthcare institutions.

Blistur is a heavy band, to be sure. Somehow, though, these guys -- drummer Neal Gupton, guitarist Chris Kellam and bassist Bart Hammond -- manage to sound radio-friendly, with hooks poppy enough to be hummed long after the show, but sinister enough to satisfy most dark metal aficionados.

The influences are evident. Right away, Metallica springs to mind. But it's more like Metallica with the rhythm section of Primus. There are also discernible doses of Fuel and Godsmack, but it wouldn't be fair to say Blistur simply mines the same landscape as those acts. And like their Jacksonville brethren Limp Bizkit, Blistur brews a good amount of working-class angst into the lyrics.

Other influences cited by the band include Pink Floyd, Weezer, Van Halen and even some swing and bebop jazz. So in many ways, they're all over the place.

Gupton, who was born and raised right here in St. Augustine, said the group's eclectic approach traces its roots back to Blistur's beginnings as a cover band.

"Oh yeah, we started out just doing cover songs," he said by telephone on Tuesday. "We did that with this band for a couple of years. And we've all been in all kinds of rock bands over the years. We've been trying to morph away from the covers for a while now, but we still do them when we need to, such as when we play Florida-Georgia weekend in the fall."

The band, which formed in November 2005, released its debut EP, "Before There Were Seasons" earlier this year, and just finished recording 11 tracks for an upcoming full-length CD that will be released on its own independent record label, Blistur Records. The recording was done down on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Maarten, at Skull Island Studios.

Blistur on stage

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 29

Where: The Florida Theatre, 128 Forsyth St., Jacksonville

Tickets: $10

Call: 355-2787

Other bands: Dubwise, Twenty Weight

"Oh yeah, it was a real nice place to record," Gupton, 34, said. "But we had worries, initially, that we'd be unable to get things we needed, being so far removed from the mainland. It worked out great, though. It was actually good to be able to be so isolated, so we could focus on what we wanted to do in the studio."

They've been getting some major market radio play, as well. In April, Clear Channel's 96.7 "The Buzzard," which is based in the Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. area, put two of the group's songs into rotation. And MTV has taken notice as well, putting a couple Blistur videos on its Web affiliates.

"This could be the stepping stone toward a bigger presence for our band," Gupton said. "We're hoping it opens the door to the mainstream for us."

After doing a number of regional performances, the Florida Theatre show will be a return for Blistur, which opened for blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa there in February.

"It's a great venue to play," Gupton said. "It's a place where we grew up watching our favorite artists perform, and where we always dreamed of playing ourselves. And of course, we're always thrilled to get up for the hometown crowd."

Check out Blistur's music on the group's MySpace page: www.myspace.com/blistur .

Also on tonight's bill are Dubwise, a local roots rock and reggae outfit that also incorporates elements of dub and hip-hop styles, and Twenty Weight, a band blending groove, metal and roots reggae to form a sound they call "rocksteady metal."

The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $10. The Florida Theatre is located at 128 E Forsyth St., Jacksonville. For further information, call the box office at (904) 355-2787.